Floating water wheel



Sept. 2, 1941. F. DOVERSPIKE FLOATING WATER WHEEL Filed Nov. 9, 1940v Hank [Zara/spike,

INVENTOR.

Patented Sept. 2, 1941 UNHTED STATES PATENT ()FFICE FLOATING WATER WHEEL Frank Dover-spike, New York, N. Y. Application November 9, 1940, Serial No. 365,055

Claims.

The invention here disclosed relates to water wheels and special objects of the invention are to provide a motor to take power from a flowing current of water, which will float in and be sustained by the water, so as to be free of the usual frictional loads and so as to occupy the same relation to the water at all times, thus to take all advantage of rising and falling water levels, sudden surges of water and the like, which can be built to any desired power size, which will be of simple sturdy design and construction, requiring no particular attention or servicing, relatively inexpensive and truly practical and efiicient in every way.

Other desirable objects and the novel features of construction, combinations and relations of parts by which the purposes of the invention are attained will appear and are set forth in the following specification.

The drawing accompanying and forming part of the specification illustrates one commercial embodiment of the invention, but it should be understood that structure may be modified and changed as regards this particular illustration, all within the true intent and broad scope of the invention as hereinafter defined and claimed.

Fig. 1 is a broken part sectional general plan view, illustrating construction and installation of the machine.

Fig. 2 is a broken vertical sectional view across the center of the wheel substantially on the plane of line 2-2 of Fig. l.

Fig. 3 is a broken part sectional detail of one of the vertically sliding paddle blades and linkage for the same as on substantially the plane of line 3--3 of Fig. 2.

In the embodiment of the invention illustrated, the floating wheel is made up of an outer buoyant rim portion 5, and an inner annular buoyant hub portion 6, rigidly connected by spoke-like elements 1.

This buoyant wheel structure as shown in Fig. 2, floats on or in the water and is confined or constrained to rotate about a fixed vertical axis by having the hub portion of the same slidingly engaged at 3, over a series of vertical rods9, carried by and dependent from a gear III, firmly journalled at ll, on the top of a stationary supporting and centering pier H2. The lower ends of the rods which slidingly key the wheel to the drive gear H3, are-shown as rigidly connected by an annulus l3, turning about the pier below the wheel and the pier. is shown as a substantial concrete cylinder rising from a bed or base I l, set into the bank iii, of a river channel, tideway, or

the like. 7

The substantially radial spoke-like members of the wheel are shown as made up in each in stance f L-beams 16, secured back-to-back in spaced relation, Fig. 3, to provide the vertical guideways H, for the boards or plates l8, forming the paddles. These blades may be made of wood or metal. At present, thin, hard aluminum sheeting is considered the best material for the purpose.

Beneath the inboard side of the wheel, a generally semi-annular float I9, is confined as by radial arms 26, extending out into vertical guides 2!, in the substantially semi-circular abutment wall 22, on the base and partly surrounding the in-shore side of the wheel.

The blades are indicated equipped at their lower edges with rollers 23, or other anti-friction devices to ride over the top of the segmental float l9, and to ride up the inclines 24, 25, leading from the lower edge level of the submerged blades up to the top of the float. These inclined tracks, in the direction of rotation indicated, raise the blades in their guide slots gradually as they approach the edge-on relation to the current. At the opposite end of the float, the blades may be permitted to simply drop down in the slots, but if considered desirable, downwardly inclined tracks may be provided at such ends to lower the blades more gradually into the water.

Where the blades are abruptly dropped off the end of the float as in the illustration, bumpers 26, of rubber or the like, may be provided on the upper portions of the blades to form cushion stops engageablewith the tops of the L-beams.

To brace and guide the paddle blades at the lower edges, links 21, are shown extending forwardly, in the direction of rotation, from the wheel spokes l, to the lower portions of the blades ahead of the same. These serve as drag links transmitting the, pull of the active blades back to the spokes in rear of the blades.

In similar fashion, links 28, in the illustration,

extend from each spoke back to the lower edge of the blade to the rear of such spoke to aid in keeping the blades upright.

Pin and slot lost motion connections 29 and 3B, at the upper ends of the links 2'! and 28, allow r for the change in radius in the raising and lowering movements of the blades.

The power may be taken off from the wheel in various ways, one simple method being shown in the form of a pinion 3 I, in mesh with the gear l0,

carried by a shaft 32, extended out over the wheel to a bearing 33, carried by the post 12, above gear Ill. A pulley or other drive element 34, on the inner end of the shaft, when equipped with a belt or the like, serves for driving an electric generator or other desired power consuming device.

The invention has many advantages, among which are to be particularly noted that the structure is quite simple and easily installed, whereever the current flow is available. The problem of providing a satisfactory bearing for carrying a large heavy wheel is avoided by floating the wheel right in the water, which drives it, and this also means that the blades will always be in the most effective position in the water, regardless of rise and fall, waves or surging of the water. The means for raising the blades, namely the float and inclined guides, etc., is sustained independently of the wheel, so that there is no load and particularly no uneven load on the wheel because of such means. The structure is open and of a loose fitting character, so as to be selfclearing of the usual floating or submerged matter likely to be carried in the water. If desired, the paddles may be secured in the upper retracted positions, for example, by passing holding pins through holes 35, in the blades over the tops of the spokes or radial arms I, when the blades are lifted as at the left in Fig. 2.

What is claimed is:

1. A water wheel, comprising a buoyant wheel structure confined to rotate on a vertical axis while sustained in free floating relation in the water propelling the same, blades guided for vertical rising and falling movements in said wheel structure and a floating support for raising and lowering the blades, sustained in the water independently of the wheel structure.

2. A water wheel, comprising a buoyant wheel structure confined to rotate on a vertical axis while sustained in free floating relation in the water propelling the same, blades guided for vertical rising and falling movements in said wheel structure, a floating support for raising and lowering the blades, sustained in the water independently of the wheel structure and power take-oil means including a gear journalled on a fixed support independent of the wheel structure and a free sliding drive connection from the wheel structure to said gear.

3. A water wheel, comprising a buoyant wheel structure confined to rotate on a vertical axis While sustained in free floating relation in the water propelling the same, a central stationary pier extending up through said floating wheel structure and by which the latter is confined to rotate on said vertical axis, blades guided for vertical rising and falling movements in said wheel structure, a floating support for raising andlowering the blades, sustained in the water independently of the wheel structure and power take-off means including a gear journalled on said stationary pier independent of the wheel structure and a free sliding drive connection from the wheel structure to said gear.

4. A water wheel, comprising a buoyant wheel structure confined to rotate on a vertical axis, while sustained in free floating relation in the water propelling the same, blades guided for vertical rising and falling movements in said wheel structure, a floating support for raising and lowering the blades, sustained in the water independently of the wheel structure, said wheel structure having slots for guiding the upper portions of said blades and links connected between the lower portions of said blades and said wheel structure.

5. A water wheel, comprising a buoyant wheel structure confined to rotate on a vertical axis, while sustained in free floating relation in the water propelling the same, blades guided for vertical rising and falling movements in said wheel structure, a floating support for raising and lowering the blades, sustained in the water independently of the wheel structure, said wheel structure having slots for guiding the upper portions of said blades and links connected between the lower portions of said blades and said wheel structure, certain of said links being located at the forward sides of said blades and others of said links being located at the rearward sides of the blades and connected to transmit the pull of the lower portions of the blades to the wheel structure.

6. A water wheel, comprising a buoyant wheel structure confined to rotate on a vertical axis, while sustained in free floating relation in the water propelling the same, blades guided for vertical rising and falling movements in said wheel structure, a floating support for raising and lowering the blades, sustained in the water independently of the wheel structure, said wheel structure including outer and inner buoyant rings and spoke-like connections between the same, said spoke-like connections having slots therein for guiding and confining the blades and links connected between the blades and adjoining spoke-like connections.

7. A water wheel, comprising a wheel structure floating on a vertical axis and having radial blades mounted for raising and lowering movement, a stationary pier, a drive member journalled on said pier, a sliding drive connection b..- tween said floating wheel structure and drive member, automatic blade raising and lowering means for automatically raising and holding the blades in elevated position and for then lowering the blades and arbitrarily operable means for securing individual blades in raised relation during complete rotation of the wheel structure.

8. A water wheel, comprising a floating wheel structure, means for confining the same to rotation about a fixedvertical axis, said wheel structure having substantially radial vertical guideways, blades slidingly engaged at their upper portions in said guideways, lost motion links connected between the lower edge portions of said blades and the wheel structure and means for automatically raising and lowering the blades in the rotation of the wheel.

9. A water wheel, comprising a floating wheel structure, a centrally disposed stationary vertical pier, apower take-off member rotatably mounted on said pier, above the wheel structure, rods extending down from said power take-off member and slidingly engaged by said floating wheel structure, an annulus connecting the lower ends of said rods and turning about the pier below said floating wheel structure, blades guided for vertical rising and falling movements in said wheel structure and means for automatically raising and lowering said blades in the rotation of the wheel structure.

10. A Water wheel, comprising a wheel structure floating on a vertical axis and having substantially radial blades mounted for raising and lowering movement, a centrally disposed vertical pier, a drive member journalled on said pier above the floating wheel structure, sliding drive connections between said floating wheel structure and drive member and means for automatically raising and lowering said blades in the rotation of said wheel structure.

FRANK DOVERSPIKE. 

